Too old, too tall

40 weeks and 4 days today. Yesterday I went to the clinic for a check control. Three doctors checked me up and concluded that there are two major reasons for my post-term pregnancy:
1.I'm too tall. So my hormone balance is somewhat out of balance.
2. I'm too old or rather old (29 years) to give birth for the first time

Both arguments are ridiculous since we know how many tall and much "older" women got their babies without any problems.

Anyhow I was told to grab my delivery bags and come to the maternity clinic on Monday for examinations and observations if not delivery itself. Usually women stay in the clinic 4-5 days after the delivery. Probably I won't be able update my blog in a week or so, but I'll be back!

Expected date of birth yesterday and no baby yet...

My delivery date passed yesterday. Now it's the final countdown backwards.I know that a normal pregnancy is 38-42 weeks and only 5 % of babies are born on their exact date of delivery. As a saying goes: "when the apple's ripe, it will fall". But it's hard to pass the date imprinted in your head and calender.

My husband once was kidding that Peruvian babies need more time to get color in the oven )) Let's see when it's ready...

12 days left... I hope...

Many people are wondering if I'm still pregnant. Yes, I am, as you can see on the picture. Seriously, I don't know if my belly will keep on growing for another 12 days. It's already on the edge of explosion. I can't really complain, all pregnancy period have been pure joy for me.


Some people are wondering how I spend all free days in Kazakhstan. As my friend said, it's great we have nine months to realize and get ready for parenthood. Just reading books how to take care of a newborn is time-consuming. Internet is still the worst time-killer for me so I force myself to go out for long walks. Training yoga is good both for body and soul

and I try to do it every day.

Few weeks ago I got obsessed with the idea to play piano after 15-year break (since I graduated from the music school). What a pregnant women wants... she gets. I've chosen keyboard, sounds and feels almost like piano plus hundreds of other functions, instruments sounds and possibility to create own music.

Yoga for moms-to-be

I didn't like yoga at all when I tried it for the first time in 2002. It was too slow, too boring and too cold. Today I'm addicted to yoga.

These are the girls including me from yoga classes for moms-to-be . Since almost all pregnant women in KZ take paid maternity leave 70 days before the delivery date, we have enough time to stay after the classes and talk about pregnancy in hours. Fabulous and pregnant!

30 weeks!

Here I'm 30 weeks pregnant, 10 more to go! I seems I've been pregnant forever at this point.
It is really funny watching the belly moves, kind of belly dancing from inside. Sometimes I see a hard round lump sticking out, I guess my baby demonstrates his bottom to me ;)))


This is my message to all pregnant women: Be proud!

Diagnosis -- pregnant

Last two days I spent in the clinic doing lots of testing and visiting all kind of doctors for my pregnancy check. I have dual experience of being pregnant in Sweden and in Kazakhstan and the approaches to pregnant women are veeeeery different. In Sweden I was just pregnant, in Almaty I have a diagnosis.

This is my little pregnancy journal with different notes and stamps:
We have chosen a private clinic in Almaty having quite good conditions and some smiling doctors. After signing a contract I was told to do a complete medical examination. So here is the list of examinations and doctors:

1. Blood test for everything, even for my testosterone level. In Almaty mandatory HIV- testing is done twice during the pregnancy.
2. Ultrasound of thyroid ( Щитовид железа), kidneys and abdominal cavity
3. Gynecologist
4. Endocrinologist
5. Oculist
6.Therapist
7.Otolaryngologist
8. Dentist
9. Surgeon (!)
10. Neurologist

It still puzzles me why I should to be checked by the oculist during my pregnancy...

Usually you go to different clinics to do all these checks, but I was lucky they had everything in one building. Still I had to wait among other pregnant women and kids for my turn to every doctor.

In contrast to Sweden where the doctor meets you outside the door ( usually all visits are pre-booked) shakes your hand and presents yourself, here you enter the room where the doctor in white rock sits behind a robust table making notes in his/her journal, looking at you above the glasses the way you feel sicker then ever before. Everybody has a computer at their table, but all notes were made by hand in the journals. Even in good clinics there are these left-overs from the Soviet time.

Well, some of the doctors were really talkative, making funny, often unnecessary comments. The oculist told me that my hip size was perfect for giving birth, but my face was swollen and need more rest. Then she took my bag and said that it was too heavy for me... Then she measured my blood pressure... Finally she said that my sight was good.

From now on I will visit my doctor every week for a control check. She also left me her personal mobile phone number and said I can call her any time of the day and night. I hope I won't need to call her at night, but it feels good to have her number in case of emergency.

After 100 days I can be a mom to a little boy!

Q. Should I have a baby after 38?
A. No, 38 children is enough.





Today I have 100 pregnancy days left! The belly is keep on growing and I wonder where it will stop ;)

We did ultrasound last week and it is a boy! I met so many people who tried to predict the sex of the baby... It's amazing that most of them were 100% sure it was a girl. Even if there is 50% chance to guess right, I wonder how some people can really be sure.

I did also an online test to define the sex of the baby by your apperance and cravings. The test gave me the following result:

You have a 50% chance of having a boy. And you have a 50% chance of having a girl.

And Here's Why...


You are carrying the extra weight out front, so it's a boy.
The hair on your legs is not growing any faster during your pregnancy, so it's a girl.
Girls are carried high. You are going to have a girl.
Sleeping in a bed with your pillow to the north indicates that you will be having a boy.
Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl.
You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a girl.
Dad-to-be hasn't been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be, so it will be a girl.
The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.
You had morning sickness early in pregnancy, so you are expecting a girl.
You are looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a boy, because girls steal their mother's looks.
Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is even, it will be a boy.
A needle on a thread held over your belly moves in circles, so you will have a boy.
Your urine is a bright neon yellow color, so you will have a boy.
You have a craving for salty or sour foods, which means that it is a boy.
Your nose hasn't changed during pregnancy, which indicates a girl.
You have been craving fruits, so it is a girl.
Your baby's heart rate is below 140 beats per minute, so it's a boy.
You must have orange juice every day, so it's a girl.
You are having headaches, so it's a boy.
Your belly looks like a basketball, so it's a boy.
You show them the palm of your hand, so it's a girl.
You use the handle, so it's a boy.
http://www.childbirth.org/articles/boyorgirl.html